Japan

Everything you need to know about Japan: news, reviews, in-depth analysis, opinion and more

Japan : World's Second Biggest Economy and Land of the Rising Sun

In 1603 Japanese military dictator Tokugawa Shogunate occupied the throne and ruled for two centuries. Japan opened its ports and began to modernize and industrialize its country after signing the treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854. By the end of 20 th century Japan became powerful regional power and defeated the forces of Russia and China in a war of imperialism. In the Second World War Japan sided with the Axis powers and even attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbour, which led to US joining the war. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 by the US forced Japan to an unconditional surrender on August 15, 1945.

Japan is an archipelago of over 3000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. It lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia. Japan stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. This eastern most location of Japan makes it the ?Land of Rising Sun'.

The climate of Japan is predominantly temperate, but varies greatly from north to south. In late summer and early autumn, typhoons often bring heavy rain

Culture, Cuisine and Tradition Of Japan:

The culture of Japan has been immensely influenced by the cultures of Europe, Asia, China and North America. These provide Japan a unique cultural identity. The rich amalgamation of various cultures can be seen in all aspects of Japanese society, whether Language, Music, Dress, Arts, Religion, Customs, Cuisine or Literature. Besides this Geisha, Kabuki Theatre, Ikebana is also regarded as significant part of Japanese Cultural Heritage.

The staple Japanese Cuisine includes noodles, rice and soup. Apart from this vegetable, crabs, fish, tofu and meat are important ingredients of Japanese cuisine. Spices and flavors like Soy sauce, miso and dashi are added to enhance the taste of foodstuffs. Various sorts of noodles, which are the vital element of Japanese culinary, were adopted from Chinese Cuisines.

Tourist Attractions of Japan:

The Country of Japan is gifted with a range of beautiful places to see and enjoy. Japan Tourism is composed of historic ruins, cultural resources, ultra modern cities as well as lush green forests and woods, breathtaking mountain ranges and sun drenched sea shorelines. All Japanese tourist hubs are well connected by highly advanced and easily available transportation systems. The coastal town of Kamakura plenty historic sights that include the giant bronze Great Buddha , colourful Hachimangu Shrine and picturesque Enoshima Island . At Nara Todaiji Temple is the world's largest wooden structure at 57m (187ft) high, and the sacred deer in Nara Park remain the centers of attraction for tourists.

May 10, 2015 at 5:07 PM

With the series already in their name, India played to add another win to their name while Japan looked at ending the series with one win in their name. It was finally India who stamped its dominance as they went on to win the match 4-0 and claiming the series 3-0.

May 8, 2015 at 7:12 PM

Already having captured the four-match Test Series by 2-0, the India Men Hockey Team will be eyeing their third consecutive win against Japan in their fourth and final test match tomorrow at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

May 6, 2015 at 5:33 PM

Confident India looks to win 3rd match against Japan tomorrow in Bhubaneswar.After an inspiring win over Japan yesterday, India Men Team is riding on confidence to win their third match of the four-match Test Series tomorrow at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

March 24, 2015 at 12:00 AM

May 2, 2012 at 10:06 PM

Nanjing, May 2 (Xinhua-ANI): A shipyard operated by Sinotrans and CSC Holdings Co., Ltd. has signed a memorandum of understanding with Australian billionaire Clive Palmer to build a replica of the Titanic, the shipyard confirmed Wednesday.

May 2, 2012 at 9:02 PM

Beijing, May 2 (IANS) A Chinese shipyard is planning to build a replica of the Titanic that sank in the Atlantic in 1912 with more than 1,500 people on board. The accident was immortalized in a movie by the same name with Leonardo diCaprio and Kate Winslet starring in leading roles.

May 1, 2012 at 3:30 PM

Liverpool (UK), May 1 (ANI): Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found that mice and rats have evolved to gnaw with their front teeth and chew with their back teeth more successfully than rodents that 'specialise' in one or other of these biting mechanisms. Research has already shown that rats and mice can both chew and gnaw, whereas other rodents, such as squirrels, specialise in gnawing, and some, like guinea pigs, specialise in chewing.

May 1, 2012 at 1:22 PM

Manila, May 1, (Xinhua-ANI): Delegates have begun arriving at the Philippine International Convention Center to register for the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) 45th Annual Meeting of its Board of Governors, which begins Wednesday, a ADB statement said Tuesday.

April 30, 2012 at 10:02 PM

April 30, 2012 at 8:10 PM

New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) India and Japan Monday held their first-ever economic dialogue and agreed to accelerate the partnership in several infrastructure projects such as the ambitious Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) in which the East Asian power is likely to pick up 26 percent equity stake.

April 30, 2012 at 5:54 PM

New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) Ending the post-Fukushima lull, India and Japan Monday decided to resume their civil nuclear deal negotiations and initiated key steps, including the launch of two dialogues in areas of maritime and cyber security, to deepen their strategic ties.

April 30, 2012 at 4:58 PM

New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) Ending the post-Fukushima lull, India and Japan Monday decided to resume negotiations on their civil nuclear deal and launched two separate dialogues in the domains of maritime and cyber security.

April 29, 2012 at 7:22 PM

New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) India and Japan will hold their first economic dialogue and sixth strategic talks Monday to impart a renewed momentum to burgeoning multi-faceted ties and to resolve issues for starting civil nuclear cooperation between them.

April 29, 2012 at 5:14 PM

Yangon, Apr 29 (Xinhua-ANI): German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle arrived Yangon Sunday as part of his trip to Southeast Asia to start a new chapter of cooperation with Myanmar, official sources said.

April 29, 2012 at 3:14 PM

New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) India and Japan will hold their first economic dialogue and sixth strategic talks Monday that are expected to impart a renewed momentum to burgeoning multi-faceted ties and explore ways to start civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries.

April 27, 2012 at 5:14 PM

April 27, 2012 at 12:58 PM

Tokyo, April 27 (IANS) The US will move 9,000 Marines out of Japan's southern Okinawa to Guam, Hawaii and other locations in the Asia-Pacific region, said a joint statement agreed by Tokyo and Washington Friday.

April 26, 2012 at 1:37 PM

Jakarta, April 26 (Xinhua-ANI): An Indonesian senior official said on Thursday that Indonesia will suspend imports of U.S. beef from Thursday because of a confirmed U.S. case of mad cow disease, a local media reported here.

April 25, 2012 at 3:36 PM

April 25, 2012 at 1:25 AM

New Delhi, April 24 (IANS) Warning that developments in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region and China's strategic rivalry with India and Japan will have security implications for Asia, Defence Minister A.K. Antony Tuesday said that these threats and future challenges cannot be appreciated by other nations from outside the region.

April 24, 2012 at 6:05 PM

Tokyo, April 24 (ANI): After the deadly earthquake and tsunami in Japan, airborne radiation levels from the Fukushima nuclear power plant are expected to remain at or close to dangerous levels at least until 2022, according to a government report.

April 23, 2012 at 2:36 PM

Washington, Apr 23 (ANI): Scientists in the United States have said that a volleyball and soccer ball that washed ashore on an American island are likely to be first pieces of debris to arrive in Alaska from the last year's devastating tsunami in Japan.

April 19, 2012 at 1:41 PM

Tokyo, April 19 (IANS) Japan's trade deficit in the past fiscal year ending in March stood at 4.41 trillion yen (about 54 billion), marking the worst ever reading for the country, the finance ministry said Thursday.

April 19, 2012 at 12:21 PM

Sydney, April 19 (IANS) Buoyed by the number of Indian tourists flocking to Australia, an influential tourism promotional body has asked the Australian government to invest $1 billion to attract more visitors from India and other Asian countries in the next decade.

April 18, 2012 at 7:41 PM

Johannesburg, April 18 (Xinhua-ANI): The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) on Wednesday hosted the celebration to commemorate the 100 days-to-go landmark for 2012 London Olympics Games.

April 17, 2012 at 6:29 PM

New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) The Indian government has downplayed reports about a proposed construction of an observatory by China in Aksai Chin, a remote part of Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh region it occupied after the 1962 war.

April 16, 2012 at 2:03 PM

Copenhagen, April 16 (IANS) Former World No.1, Caroline Wozniacki saw her winning streak at the Danish Open come to an end as Angelique Kerber of Germany downed the Dane 6-4, 6-4 to clinch the title here.

April 15, 2012 at 2:59 PM

Washington, Apr 15 (ANI): Some of the relationships among blooming of flowers, emerging of insects, migration of birds, and planting and hunting seasons are falling out of sync as climate change alters important cues, such as the arrival of spring warmth, a new study has revealed.

April 14, 2012 at 12:27 PM

April 13, 2012 at 7:31 PM

London, April 13 (IANS) French President Nicolas Sarkozy Friday admitted he did not visit Fukushima during a trip to Japan after the tsunami last March, but had told an election rally he had visited the stricken nuclear plant.

April 13, 2012 at 12:03 PM

London, Apr 13 (ANI): Proof that some chimps routinely avoid the safety of treetops to sleep on the ground raises the possibility that some early hominins did too with possible implications for their growth, a new study has claimed.

April 13, 2012 at 11:55 AM

Beijing, April 13 (IANS) A remote area in Tibet may be chosen as the location for a new international astronomical observatory, because of "limited clouds and vapours" but "high transparency" ideal for observation activities.

April 11, 2012 at 8:42 AM

London, April 11 (IANS) Polar bears in Alaska have been seen with missing patches of fur, and reports say it may be due to a "mystery illness" related to the nuclear accident at the Fukushima power plant in Japan.

April 10, 2012 at 8:17 PM

Melbourne, Apr 10 (ANI): A Perth man, who made international headlines for putting up his life for sale during a midlife crisis, is now living on his very own Caribbean island and has found love again.

April 10, 2012 at 6:50 PM

New Delhi, April 10 (IANS) The visas on arrival issued to foreign tourists from 11 countries saw a jump of 34 percent during January-March this year compared to the same period in 2011, officials said Tuesday.

April 10, 2012 at 5:07 PM

London, April 10 (IANS) British Prime Minister David Cameron will make a landmark trip this week to Myanmar where he is expected to meet Nobel laureate and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a media report said.

April 10, 2012 at 3:47 PM

Beijing, April 10 (IANS) Arguing that China's economic rise is good for the world, a Chinese commentary said Tuesday that Beijing must "show more kindness" to neighbouring countries worried about its strength.

April 9, 2012 at 7:05 PM

Washington, April 9 (IANS) A number of global technology and business groups want India to reconsider its new rules on government-purchased technology, suggesting they would be at odds with New Delhi's World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations.

April 9, 2012 at 5:32 PM

Astana (Kazakhstan), April 9 (IANS) Teenage boxer Shiva Thapa humbled Athens Olympics silver medallist Worapoj Petchkoon of Thailand to enter the semifinals of the 56 kg category at the Asian Olympic qualifying event here Monday. The Indian is now one step away from making the London Games.

April 7, 2012 at 4:26 PM

Tokyo, April 7 (ANI): Japan has announced a new set of standards for its nuclear plants on Friday to prevent disasters, such as last year's meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-chi power plant, as the government aimed to ease public concern about restarting idle reactors.

April 6, 2012 at 1:05 PM

April 5, 2012 at 5:36 PM

Tehran, April 5 (IANS) Iran's national football team will play a friendly match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in preparation for the final stage of Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup to be held in Brazil.

April 5, 2012 at 1:28 PM

Seoul, April 5 (IANS) Foreign direct investment (FDI) into South Korea grew 17 percent in the first quarter due to a growth in inflow from advanced economies such as Europe and Japan, a government report showed Thursday.

April 3, 2012 at 4:16 PM

New Delhi, Apr.3 (ANI): Hollywood director James Cameron of "Titanic" and "Avatar" after diving in the Mariana Trench or Marianas Trench, which is the deepest part of the world's oceans, and located in the western Pacific Ocean, supports views on the technical details related to the trench, oceanic life and the need to save environment as well as mother Earth, as conveyed in the book "Luv U Mate" by Indian author Dr Punit Sethi.

April 2, 2012 at 8:32 PM

New Delhi, April 2 (IANS) A new initiative to strengthen investment links between established Indian companies and British small and medium enterprises (SMEs) focussed on technology was launched here Monday.

April 2, 2012 at 10:37 AM

New Delhi, Apr 2 (ANI): The international business community has reportedly written to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh complaining about his governments' decision to introduce retrospective amendments to the tax law.